Tourist Board Oks $500,000 For Vietnam Veterans Reunion

Unless major veterans groups object, Broward County will spend a half- million dollars in tourist-tax revenue to publicize former USO entertainer Kaye Stevens` planned reunion for Vietnam veterans.

The Tourist Development Council approved spending the $500,000 Wednesday along with $765,262 to promote nine local tourist attractions and $376,000 for 28 cultural events.

Operation Big Cheer, what Stevens calls her big-name reunion bash, was praised by tourist council members for both its patriotic appeal and its potential for attracting tourists.

But approval of the advertising grant depends on whether Vietnam veterans consider themselves exploited by the event.

``I have to warn you, there may very well be a protest or two if this thing goes on,`` said County Commission Chairman Scott Cowan, who also chairs the tourist council. ``I don`t think we`re going to do Broward County or Operation Big Cheer any good if every major Vietnam veterans group in the country is against it.``

That wouldn`t be the case, said Charles Younts, an official with the Vietnam Veterans of Florida.

``There are no reunions whatsoever for Vietnam vets for whatever reasons,`` he said. ``But there`s a resurgence of patriotism and pride in the country now. The Vietnam vets are literally coming out of the closet.``

Stevens, a veteran singer, actress and entertainer, agreed. ``There were 9 million veterans of that era,`` she said. ``We should be the ones who finally say, `Hey, group, welcome home.` ``

Cowan said he had already been contacted, however, by Pat Krupkin, president of Agent Orange Children, who threatened to demonstrate at Operation Big Cheer events on behalf of alleged victims of chemical poisoning in the war.

``You can throw all the parties in the world, but what does that do for the Agent Orange vets?`` she said.

Cowan suggested, and the council agreed, that major veterans groups should be contacted to see if they approve of the plan. The groups don`t necessarily have to endorse the idea, said Cowan, but if they plan a boycott or object the council might reconsider.

Stevens, who now lives in Margate, told the tourist council that many of the show-business personalities who participated in the original Operation Big Cheer, the 1965 Bob Hope USO tour, had agreed to come to Broward for the 20- year reunion.

A nationwide promotion that she plans to lead personally will draw 100,000 Vietnam veterans and family members to Broward from Nov. 8-11, she said.

Cowan said the tourist council probably won`t realize $500,000 back from tourist taxes from the event, but that the attention and potential return tourist trade would justify the expense.

The TDC also approved final recommendations from its two grant categories Wednesday. For tourism-generating projects, the largest allocation went to the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce`s Winterfest and Boat Parade. Its $183,000 will be used to hire a big-name entertainer as boat parade grand marshal and to tape a concert for cable television.

The council rejected funding 12 events, including the Federal Little League`s request for $25,000 for the Big League World Series in Fort Lauderdale.

While the council had contributed to the event for the past three years, the upcoming event might now be in jeopardy of moving to another city, said Dennis Duke, a Little League official. Already, Dallas and Grand Rapids, Mich., have submitted bids for the event, he said.

In the other grant category, those for local cultural events, there were also unhappy rejected applicants. A coalition of several groups, calling itself the Consortium of Concerned Arts Organizations, claimed the Broward Arts Council, which for the first time made recommendations on which cultural events to fund this year, was biased and given to favortism.